Emergency service workers are confronted with serious risks for their health, well-being and functioning. In order to prevent consequences to them and their families, emergency organizations should provide optimal support after an intensive period of employment. In many countries, the military pays special attention to the transition of their personnel from deployment to home via post-deployment adaptation programs (PDAPs). The objective of this presentation is to provide a structured analysis of the military approach to post-deployment adaptation and to identify potential lessons for emergency services.

A systematic literature search was performed to find original peer-reviewed studies on PDAP in six databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PTSDPubs, and OpenGrey). The overall risk of bias of the articles was assessed using GRADE guidelines. The literature was analyzed guided by a program evaluation framework entailing different domains.

The search resulted in 1535 unique records that were screened for eligibility; 16 articles were included, of which only three showed low risk of bias. Most articles describe some form of third location decompression (N = 10) and also some agreement exists on how to adapt skills and cognitions after deployment (Battlemind; N = 4). The results suggest positive mental health effects and satisfaction of these elements.

Empirical, high-quality evidence for PDAP is scarce. In addition, the existing literature reveals a lack of systematic method in describing the goals of PDAP and the ways of achieving these. Nevertheless, this study reveals promising elements that are in line with international guidelines, such as minimizing the level of exposure, intervention delivery and adjustment issues. We discuss how future research should incorporate these elements using a systematic approach.